Johnson has been A&M's third linebacker each of the past two seasons, but his role will almost certainly increase in 2019. Now the team's most experienced linebacker, Johnson will likely replace Tyrel Dodson as the full-time outside linebacker. Now up to nearly 230 pounds, Johnson has the size to handle the every-down grind of SEC football; if he's as fast as he has been, he should be an above-average starter.

After the performance of Dodson and Otaro Alaka last year, it's easy to forget that Hines was having an outstanding summer and was pushing for significant playing time before suffering a knee injury.

Hines racked up extremely impressive numbers in limited duty as a freshman, and the coaches hope he can take over for Alaka as the middle linebacker. While he was largely held out of contact activities during the spring, he looked good in agility drills and did not experience any setbacks. If he picks up where he was when he was injured, this group can be much better than many expect.

There may not be a more fascinating story on the Aggie football team than Hansford, who was recruited as a receiver, got hurt early in his freshman season, then became a starter in 2017 -- only to lose his job and suffer a severe knee injury during practice later in the year. As soon as Jimbo Fisher arrived, he was switched to linebacker, where he was an All-American in high school.

At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, there's no question has the size to be an impact linebacker. The question is whether his knee can hold up and how long it will take him to get acclimated to playing defense again. After a slow start to the spring, he racked up an impressive 9 tackles in the spring game, which is cause for optimism.

White was A&M's highest-rated linebacker signee in the 2019 class and was on campus for spring ball -- a huge positive for both him and the team. Not surprisingly, he experienced some growing pains during those practices, but he led the white team with 5 tackles in the Maroon & White Game. He could make a real run at a backup job, likely on the outside, this season.

Okeke, like Hines, was having a solid summer before being felled by an injury. Instead of being in the mix for the backup job at Rover, 2018 was a total loss. He was also held out of contact activities in the spring, but looked like he was closing to being fully recovered. Formerly a safety, Okeke was wanted as a speedy linebacker who could rush the passer or cover, and he could end up as the starting Rover in 2019.

White, a walk-on, had much of his 2018 season scrapped by injuries. But, once he recovered, he was returned to the linebacker rotation. Jimbo Fisher mentioned White positively both last fall and this spring, and after a 5-tackle performance in the spring game, it's not out of the question that he could be the backup inside linebacker.

Magee is a little undersized, and a little slow, but he is knack for finding the football and making tackles. He had four in the spring game and has played the past two seasons, especially late in 2017. He could get lost in the shuffle as the likes of Ke'Shun Brown and Chris Russell arrive on campus, but he's got the leg up in terms of experience and knowledge of the defense.